LandscapeAdvisor

What’s “The Core” And Why Is It Important

When I use the term “core” I’m referring to the center of the plant’s root ball.  A nursery plant that’s been dug, balled & burlapped (B&B) is now totally reliant on that root ball to keep it alive. [...]

Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and ‘Emerald Gold’ are 2 very common shrubs.  In many ways the two are similar in form.  You’ll often see both used as a low, mounded shrub either at the front of a garden or as an area groundcover.

Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ has the distinct capability to climb when planted next to a structure.

In this first picture is ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and further down the stone wall   is ‘Emerald Gold’.

The loose, straggley growth on top is typical and perhaps in a larger open space this “wildness” would be OK.  For example, used on a slope as a groundcover this “rambling” habit would be great.

However, in other gardens  you may want to prune for a neater look.  In this situation the Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’ is overpowering the azalea behind it.  Let’s bring it back to scale, but keep that natural form. [...]

Boxwood happens to be one of the most common plants around, especially if you consider all the varieties there are.  I certainly don’t mean common in a negative sense.  Boxwood and all its varieties often serve as the backbone to many beautiful (and functional) gardens.

To Shear or Not To Shear

With Boxwood most people instinctively shear the plant.  The vision most of us have is one of perfectly shaped forms.  It definitely is at the top of the list when it comes to formal gardens and topiary.

I’d like to suggest two circumstances when “selective” pruning might be the alternative to shearing. [...]

Have I gone too far with this metaphor?

Two of the functions of good planting design that work together to marry the house to the site are:

1. to complement the home
2. to have the home appear integrated (connected) to its surroundings

There are certainly other functions accomplished by good planting design, like creating spaces, directing views and traffic, screening, etc.   But this “complementing and integrating the house to the site” is major. [...]